Envelope clasp



May 16, 1944.

E. F. AHLQUIST ENVELOPE CLASP Filed Aug. 28, 1941 /NVENTOE fuss/vs EAHLQU/JT 1 five mwh Arrog NE Y.-

Patented May 16, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in envelope clasps, and more particularly to such clasps used in the construction of commercial and catalog envelopes.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple inexpensive envelope clasp which may readily be applied to commercial envelopes, and which is so constructed that it will securely retain the closure flap in closed position, whereby it cannot accidentally become released from the clasp, and which may, if deemed necessary, be readily operated to release the flap without mutilating the closure flap or clasp.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clasp of the character disclosed, which greatly facilitates the operation of securing the flap in closed position, as compared with conventional two-prong clasps.

A further object is to provide a clasp comprising cooperating parts between which the flap may readily be inserted by .a simple operation and thereby secured against accidental opening when in use.

A further object is to provide an envelope clasp made from a single piece of strap material bent upon itself to provide a base portion adapted to be secured to a wall of the envelope, and having a flexible tongue overlying said base portion, and a pair of raised transverse ridges being formed on the base portion and spaced apart lengthwise thereof, whereby the flap securing hook provided at one end of the flexible tongue is supported therebetween, said ridges cooperating to outwardly space the envelope flap from the base member, when the flap is in closed position, whereby the portion of the envelope flap positioned beneath the flexible tongue is alined with the terminal hook so that the flap cannot accidentally become detached from the clasp.

Other objects of the invention reside in the unique construction of the clasp whereby it may be made from strap or ribbon material without expensive forming dies; in the formation of the clasp whereby it may be completely formed with a minimum of operations, thereby greatly reducing the manufacture thereof; in the spaced arrangement of the transversely disposed raised portions or ridges of the base member, which cooperate to outwardly space the envelope closure flap from the base, when the flap is in closed position, whereby the hook formed on the free end of the resilient tongue may readily enter the usual aperture provided in the closure flap, thereby to secure the flap in closed position; in

and over again without destroying the clasp; and, in the simple and inexpensive construction of the clasp, whereby it may readily and conveniently be attached to a wall of the envelope, and whereby it may be manufactured in quantity production at low cost.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and. accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawing there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a view showing a portion of an envelope with the clasp applied to a wall thereof;

Figure 2 is a view showing an envelope with the flap secured in closed position by the clasp;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 3--3 of Figure 2, showing the flap disengaged from the clasp;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the flap partially inserted beneath the locking tongue of the clasp;

Figure 5 is a view showing the flap in closed position; and

Figure 6 is a view showing the blank from which the clasp is formed.

In the selected embodiment of the invention here shown, there is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, for purposes of disclosure, an envelope comprising a body 2 having a closure flap 3 pro-' vided with a suitable opening 3, reinforced by a patch 5, as is customary in structures of this type.

The novel clasp herein disclosed is formed from a blank 6 which may be made from a single piece of strap or ribbon material, preferably metal, whereby it may be manufactured at low cost. The blank is folded upon itself intermediate its ends to provide a base portion 7 and a flexible tongue 8. A flap-securing hook 9- is formed at the free end of the tongue 8, adapted to be received in the aperture 4 of the flap 3, as shown in Figure 5. The base portion l is provided with suitable means for securing it to the body of the envelope as, for example, eyelets H, which may be punched directly from the material, or separate securing elements may be secured to the base portion I by fusing or gluing.

th prgvision of clasp which may b u d, ver 55 A feature of the invention resides in the pro.

vision of a pair of transversely disposed raised portions or ribs l3, formed in the intermediate portion of the base I. These ribs are spaced apart lengthwise of the base, and are so arranged with respect to the terminal hook 9 of the tongue 8, that when the tongue is in its normal inoperative position, the book 9 may engage the base 1 between the ribs I 3, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3.

To secure the envelope closure flap in locked position, the tip of the flap is simply inserted between the base 1 and the terminal hook 9 .of the tongue 8, as shown in Figure 4, until the flap reaches its closed position, shown in Figure 5. When so positioned, it will be noted that the ribs I3 outwardly space the flap 3 from the base,

whereby the hook 9 of the tongue 8 may traverse the opening 4 in the flap 3, and thereby positively secure the fiap in closed position, as will readily be understood by reference to Figure 5. Because of the ribs I3 outwardly spacing the flap from the body of the base, when an attempt is made to withdraw the fiap from beneath the tongue 8, the hook 9 will engage a wall of the aperture 4 and thereby positively prevent accidental opening of the flap.

If desired, the flap may be opened, or released from the clasp, by simply slightly outwardly flexing the tongue 8 from the full to the dotted line position shown in Figure 5, while the flap is in closed position. Such flexing of the tongue 8 will remove the hook 9 from the aperture 4 in the flap, whereby the latter may readily be opened, as will readily be understood. The terminal hook 9 of the tongue 8 is normally positioned against the base member 1 between the ribs l3, and is spaced downwardly from the upper rib l3, so that the flap may readily be inserted beneath the hook 9. and the base, as shown in Figure 3. When the tip of the flap is inserted between the base I and hook 9, it will engage the upper inclined surface of the lower rib I3 which will outwardly flex the tip of the flap, as shown in Figure 4'. When the flap reaches its closed position, shown in Figure 5, the terminal hook 9 will enter the aperture 4 in the fiap and thus secure the flap in closed position.

Another feature of the invention resides in the fact that when the fiap is in closed position, as shown in Figure 2, the flexible tongue 8 overlies the flap and prevents other envelopes or mail with which the envelope herein disclosed, may come in contact, from entering between the flap and the body of the envelope and thereby force the flap into open position. Such action by other envelopes is practically impossible in the novel clasp herein disclosed because, the flexible tongue 8 overlies the lower marginal edge portion of the flap, when the latter is closed, as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 5, whereby other envelopes or mail cannot enter beneath the intermediate portion of the fiap and release it from the clasp.

The novel clasp herein disclosed is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture, as it may be made from standard size ribbon stock, whereby the blanks 6 may be rapidly made by simply transversely severing the ribbon stock at spaced intervals, as will readily be understood by reference to Figure 6. Thus, the blanks 6 may be made in quantity production without the use of expensive blanking dies, which is customary with most commercial clasps now on the market.

The stock may be in the form of metal, or any other suitable material applicable for the purpose.

It will also be noted that the clasp is free from laterally extending prongs or spurs, such as used in the conventional two-prong clasp. Such twoprong clasps are objectionable in that they require the prongs to be bent up at substantially right angles to the body of the clasp, before the prongs can be inserted through the usual aperture 4 of the envelope flap. After insertion through the aperture 4, they must be bent downwardly against the flap to substantially their normal positions in the plane of the body of the clasp. Such operation of the prongs of conventional clasps is extremely hard on the fihger tips, especially if numerous envelopes are to be hurriedly closed, as is frequently necessary in large mail order houses, and other institutions which may periodically send out large numbers of circular letters or catalogs.

The objectionable feature, above referred to, has been entirely eliminated by the provision of the novel clasp herein disclosed, because it requires no actual bending of the material from which the clasp is made, first one way and then another, as is customary with conventional twoprong clasps, in order to lock the flap in closed position. When using my novel clasp, the operation of closing the flap is made extremely simple, in that it simply requires the flap to be inserted under the tongue 8 by a single operation, as will be understood by reference to Figure 4. Another desirable feature of my clasp resides in the fact that it may be used over and over again, many times, without danger of damaging the clasp, whereby it may be used on envelopes or containers designed for repeated use.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have accomplished at least the principal objects of my invention, and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that-the embodiments herein described may be variously changed and modified, Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specifically described; hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiments are illustrative only, and thatmy invention is not limited thereto.

I claim as my invention: n

1. An envelope having a flap and a clasp therefor, said clasp being formed from a pieceof strap metal bent upon itself to provide. a" base portion and a resilient tongue which overlies the base, raised ribs formed in the intermediate'portion of said base and disposed transversely thereof and spaced apart lengthwise of the base to provide a relatively wide gap therebetween', an inwardly facing hook formed at the free end of the tongue and disposed between said ribs and resiliently held in contact with said base portion, said fiap having a preformed aperture therein for receiving the hook, said hook constantly engaging the base when in flap-securing position, and said ribs supporting the envelope flap in spaced relation to the base whereby it cannot accidentally become disengaged from the hook when in closed position.

2. An envelope having a fiap and a clasp therefor, said clasp being formed from a piece of strap material bent upon itself to provide a base and a resilient tongue which overlies the base, outwardprojections formed in the intermediate portion of said base and spaced apart lengthwise of th base, an inwardly facing hook formed at the free end of the tongue and disposed between said projections, with its terminal located between the uppermost portions of said projections and the base, said flap having a preformed aperture therein for receiving the hook when the flap is inserted between the tongue and base and whereby the hook may engage the base when in flap-securing position, said projections supporting the flap in spaced relation to the base 1 whereby the flap cannot accidentally become disengaged from the hook when in closed position.

3. An envelope having a flap and an automatic clasp therefor for locking said envelope closed, said clasp including a strap like piece 1 of metal bent upon itself to provide a longitudinally extending base portion, a resilient tongue overlying said base portion and having a hook formed on the free end thereof which is adapted to normally-bear against said base under spring tension, a pair of projecting portions extending upward from said base portion of said clasp and positioned longitudinally on either side of said hook, said flap having a preformed hole in line with said clasp whereby said envelope may be locked closed by said clasp by insertin the free end of said flap under said tongue, causing said hook to automatically pass through said hole in said flap and said projecting portions on said base holding said flap spaced from said base and in line to be engaged by said hook of said clasp to lock said envelope closed.

EUGENE F. AHLQUIST. 

